The VanLug Tech Culture Project is a collection of quality information addressing topics of interest to technical professionals in biographical, documentary, or fictional forms. Many of these programs and movies were originally developed by mainstream television and movie studios and others by independent producers. Many of these topics are sensitive and controversial, although VanLUG does not endorse any particular set of ideas or opinions. We are interested in presenting information about these topics rather than in instructing members how to engage in marginal or illegal activities. We believe that professionals and aspiring professionals need to be well informed and have easy, open access to many such kinds of general knowledge, and be free to come to their own conclusions. If you have material you’d like to add to our project, please contact us. And in the meantime, enjoy.

* Bruce Schneier: “NSA Surveillance and What To Do About It”.
One of the world’s most respected security researchers discusses the scope and nature of the international surveillance problem and the solutions needed to restore balance to the Internet.NSA Surveillance and What To Do About It

* Tim Berners-Lee: “A Magna Carta for the Web”
The father of the World Wide Web argues for a rights based Magna Carta for the Internet to offset many of it’s downsides. “Theres a battle ahead. Eroding net neutrality, filter bubbles and centralizing corporate control all threaten the webs wide-open spaces. Its up to users to fight for the rights to access and openness. The question is, What kind of Internet do we want?”A Magna Carta for the Web

* Jacob Appelbaum and “The TOR Network”
Why privacy and anonymity are important and the way in which The Onion Router is an essential piece of the solution. Debunks many of the negative myths surrounding TOR.The TOR Network

* “The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz”
A biographical film depicting the life of American computer programmer, writer, political organizer, and Internet activist Aaron Swartz.The Internet’s Own Boy

* EFF: Kurt Opsahl, Senior Staff Attorney. “Through a PRISM Darkly – Everything We Know About NSA Spying”.
Background information about NSA programs and legal frameworks and justifications for their programs. Detailed information about what the different programs do. What to do about it. 13 principles for international spying. UN resolutions. necessaryandproportional.net. Complaints. Hearings. Https everywhere.Through a PRISM Darkly

* “Algorithm: The Hacker Movie”
A computer hacker discovers a mysterious government computer program. He breaks into the program and is thrust into a surveillance revolution.Algorithm

* Chaos Computer Conference: “The Militarization of the Internet”
The discovery and analysis of FinFisher’s FinSpy and Hacking Team exploits. The video ad for Galieo Systems is especially revealing.The Militarization of the Internet

* Discovery: “Top Secret: National Security Agency”
A documentary that looks inside the NSA and its history.National Security Agency

* SIGINT 2013: Hans-Jorg Kreowski and Deitrich Meyer-Ebrecht “Revolution in Military Affairs”.
The digitization of military affairs and the restructuring of the basic military outlook around ICT to redefine our understanding of war. History of the relationship between the military and computing technology. Ethics of dual-use nature of tech. Civil tech driving development of new forms of military tech with an eye to replacing conventional weapons with drones, robots and other types of tech. Remote management of digital weapons. Machine ethics and artificial conscience. The merging of security and military objectives. The emergence of undercover warfare and cyberwarfare. War is no longer for defense. FIFF. Cyberpeace.Revolution in Military Affairs

* NOVA: “The Spy Factory”
A documentary look at the NSA prior to 911 and it’s failure to understand or act upon the intelligence it had gathered regarding Al Queda. The beginnings of NSA domestic surveillance and data gathering and the difference between data and intelligence.The Spy Factory

* Humour: DefCon 14: “Secrets of the Hollywood Hacker”
A light hearted look at hackers in the movies. Leet or Lame? You decide.Hollywood Hackers

* History Channel: National Geographic: BBC Documentary “Who are Hackers”
The rise and impact of Anonymous, in their own words.Who are Hackers?

* Discovery Channel: “The Secret History of Hacking”
An early history of phone phreaking and hacking in the seventies and eighties. Draper, Wozniak, Mitnik, in their own words.The Secret History of Hacking

* “Hackers Wanted”.
An in depth examination of the differences between hackers and crackers, and a lengthy discussion of information warfare and various threats to global security.Hackers Wanted

* Discovery: “The True Story of the Internet”
The early history of Google, the beginnings of search and the commercial web, Yahoo, Excite, Goto, Overture, Don’t Be Evil, IPO, GooglePhobia.The True Story of the Internet

* Moment of Truth: Edward Snowden’s Speech
Interview with Edward Snowden on Moment of Truth in Aukland, New Zealand. Discussion of mass surveillance and the types of analysis performed by the NSA on email metadata and content.Edward Snowden’s Speech

* SFU TED Talks: Edward Snowden: “Here’s How We Take Back the Internet”.
Discussion of solutions to the mass surveillance problem, encryption and an Internet Magna Carta as proposed by Tim Berners-Lee.Here’s How We Take Back the Internet

* Doc-Zone: “Deluged by Data”
Are you a data addict? Infobese? In need of a digital diet? How much data is too much and what will our future relationships with information entail? From self monitoring to cyborgs.Deluged By Data

* “World’s First Quantum Computer Has Been Invented”
Seth Lloyd at MIT claims to have invented the first quantum computer. Dubious. A good explanation of quantum theory though and how solving problems with a quantum computing differs from linear computing.World’s First Quantum Computer Has Been Invented

* Tech MidWest: “The Future Of Quantum Computing”
Vern Brownell, D-Wave CEO delivers a presentation at Compute MidWest. This is a good general introduction to quantum computing, pulling a lot of ideas together – original concepts, quantum computing, D-Wave systems and the future of quantum computing.The Future of Quantum Computing

PBS: Nova: What Can Quantum Computers Do?”
A look inside D-Wave’s commercial quantum computers, with a short explanation of how the technology works by Geordie Rose D-Wave’s founder.What Can Quantum Computers Do?

*”Surviving Progress”
A documentary look at the destiny of progress and improvement. Long term/Short term. Complexity/Scale. Technological cascade. The importance of “Why”. The importance of technology. Our finite planet. Third World debt.Surviving Progress

* “AntiTrust” The movie.
A top computer science student joins a monopolistic corporation bent on world domination of digital communications. With the help of friends he exposes the murderous tactics of his demanding boss and open sources the code stolen from murdered programmers.AntiTrust

* “Storm Watch: Code Hunter” The movie.
A young hacker with a criminal past is forced to return to crypto cracking by a character in a RPG in order to avoid being framed by those who want the Livewire file – the core of the Thunderhead weather weapon. But a rogue AI has other ideas.Storm Watch: Code Hunter

* Tom Clancy’s Net Force: “Op Center”
A newly appointed head of the National Crisis Management Centre faces a trial by fire over stolen Russian nuclear weapons. Lame graphics.Op Centre

* “Insecurity” The movie.
Two hackers Leon and Greg set out to download some files, but wind up diverted again and again as they try to avoid getting caught. Humorous look at social engineering and technical hacking on windows and linux. Lots of bad acting, melodrama and nihilistic self reflection.Insecurity

* “Hackers: Outlaws and Angels”
A look at both black and white hats, defenders and crackers and their current projects. The Global Threat Centre, InfoWar, the CodeRed attack worm, Cold Fire, Eric Raymond, John Perry Barlow.Outlaws and Angels

* “Hackers are People Too”
A neutral look at hacking from a broad and historical perspective extending beyond computers into the true nature of hacking as it shows up in our broader culture. Discussion of what real hackers actually do. Interviews with attendees at DefCon.Hackers are People Too

* “Enemy of the State” Movie.
Gene Hackman, Will Smith, Lisa Bonet and Jack Black star in a 1998 film about an ambitious NSA bureaucrat who will do whatever it takes to ensure that strong security legislation will pass . In 1998 people thought this was fiction , a conspiracy theory about the surveillance state – neither fact nor blueprint. Recent events and revelations have proven otherwise. From rogue bureaucrat to rogue agency.Enemy of the State

* “Cyberjack”. Movie.
Cyberterrorists try to unleash a thinking virus originally designed as a biological augmented security innoculation upon the world. Are they insane or in charge? Filmed in Vancouver.Cyberjack

* “Deja Vu” Movie.
Denzel Washington in a time warping science fiction terrorist manhunt featuring the Snow White time data streaming tech centre. A surveillance society advocate’s wet dream and a very interesting control room. Quite the twist on the time paradox.Deju Vu

* PBS: “Triumph of the Nerds” Parts one, two and three.
Robert X. Cringely’s history of the development of the personal computer from the earliest days and before through to the PC, to the Mac and to Windows 95.Part One: Chips, Altair, Apple I and II, HomeBrew Computer Club, Westcoast Computer Faire.Triumph of the Nerds – Part OnePart Two: Transition from hobby to big business, IBM culture, Hearts and Minds, IBM-PC, Open Architecture, PC-Dos, Gary Kildall, Seattle Computer Products, QDos – Quick and Dirty OS, Inventors vs expoiters, Lotus 123, PC Compatibles, the rise of Microsoft, Compaq, the first Anti-Trust suit, Apple and the 1984 ad.Triumph of the Nerds – Part TwoPart Three: User Friendly. Innovation vs Marketing. GUIs. Zerox PARC. Lisa. Mac. Applications. 1984. WYSIWYG. Laser Printers. Adobe. Steve Jobs departure. Windows. Look and Feel. Taste. Windows 95. The Internet. Larry Ellison.Triumph of the Nerds – Part Three

* NOVA: “The KGB, the Computer and Me”. Movie.
Based upon Clifford Stoll’s “The Cukoo’s Egg” a true story that led from a Berkeley computer lab and a small accounting error to military secrets, a West German cracker, and the KGB. A high tech whodunnit.The KGB, the Computer and Me

* “DEFCON 20: The Documentary”An in depth look at the 20th Anniversary DEFCON. Interviews with speakers and attendees.The Documentary

* “DEFCON19: The History and Evolution of Computer Viruses”A talk given at DEFCON 19 by Mikko Hypponen of F-Secure. He provides and excellent overview discussing the first PC viruses and each stage of subsequent virus development up to the present time.The History and Evolution of Computer Viruses

* Martin Hellman: “The Wisdom of Foolishness”
Martin Hellman of Diffie-Hellman fame is inducted as a Stanford School of Engineering Hero. This is his acceptance speech. He gives great advice about how to approach a new project. First proposals often appear foolish. But success requires us to be foolish enough to try, to undertake fools errands. Home runs vs foul balls. Asking the right question.The Wisdom of Foolishness

* The Pentagon Channel: “Bragging Rights”A documentary filmed during a military cyber warfare training exercise. The NSA Red Cell was the attacker and various military technical schools were the defenders including the Royal Military College of Canada. The theme was Fighting Through Cyber Adversity and the objective for the students was to keep their systems running – as long as possible.Bragging Rights

* Stanford: “Disecting StuxNet”
Security researcher Carey Nachenburg from Symantec gives a short presentation to explain how StuxNet works to a CISAC Science seminar at Stanford.Dissecting StuxNet

* StuxNet: “Security Researcher Ralph Langner”StuxNet decoder Ralph Langner, analyses the StuxNet virus and why it changes the digital landscape. Dropper and Payload. Payload directed to PLC controllers. Dropper was complex – 4 zero day expoits. PLCs are very insecure. StuxNet loads software onto a PLC. Injecting malicious code to run in parallel. Selective execution. Goal is to damage physical processes. Man in the middle techniques. 15k lines of rogue code. Created by five or six of the very best people in the world . A covert operation with considerable resources. Yes centrifuges, but really not all that target specific. Targeting safety systems. Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. Success. But many wider implications. StuxNet changes the landscape of cyber warfare – defined as the malicious manipulation of cyber systems supporting or substituting an act of war. Distinct from cyber espionage – which is ongoing continously. Cyber systems are everywhere not just computers. Goal is effects outside of cyberspace ie critical infrastructure and military installations. Cyber warfare is not just on the net. Traditional defence has been through deterrants but StuxNet goes beyond this. Asymetrical conflict. Tactical assault not strategic retaliation. Cyber weapons are fire and forget. Payload is never detected, software artifacts will not disappear. Cyber warfare is successful, and thus is here to stay. Will see more of it. Zero fatalities. Proliferation cannot be controlled. All that is needed is knowledge. StuxNet can easily be cloned and modified to suit. Counter proliferation won’t work. Ralph predicts the development of a grey market – a cyber weapons industry? Production costs are zero, and you have same day delivery via the internet. What’s needed is real protection – not deterrance. Demand digitally signed code. Who? CIA? DoE? Repeatable? Yes.What’s next?StuxNet: Ralph Langner

* NOVA: “Ancient Computer”
The world’s first computer, the Antikythera device was created in ancient Greece more than 2000 years ago, probably by Archimedes. This device calculates and predicts planetary and lunar motion and eclipses. Understanding the artifact was itself a prolonged and complicated challenge requiring the efforts of many different specialists. That the ancients had sufficient knowledge to make such predictions is itself profound, but that they could manufacture such a device to do it quickly and accurately is a revelation.Ancient Computer

* “Kids React to Old Computers”Children’s innocent reactions to old tech.Kids and Computers

* “The Bourne Trilogy”. Movies.
Matt Damon is an amnesiac who has forgotten he is the worlds most deadly assassin and struggles to uncover his past and learn who he is while being hunted by his former masters.
The Bourne Identity. Bourne 1 (2002)The Bourne IdentityThe Bourne Supremacy. Bourne 2 (2004)The Bourne SupremacyThe Bourne Ultimatum. Bourne 3 (2007)
The Bourne Ultimatum

* “The Fifth Element”. Movie
A satirical, sci-fi space opera where a former soldier and the perfect woman are on a mission to save the world from pure evil. Amidst a cast of over the top cut outs, caricatures and stereotypes, it seems Bruce Willis and his partner are the only genuine people alive.The Fifth Element

* “Fast and Furious 7”. Movie
Dom and friends are back in yet another automotive, special-effects extravaganza, this time with alpha hacker Ramsey, who has developed the God’s-eye surveillance program. Gives new meaning to the idea of war driving.Fast and Furious 7